


Killer | Queen: Athens, October 1935

by rainpuddle13



Series: Killer | Queen [3]
Category: And Then There Were None (TV 2015), CHRISTIE Agatha - Works, Poirot - Agatha Christie
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:34:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5957217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainpuddle13/pseuds/rainpuddle13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a hard rain is gonna fall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Killer | Queen: Athens, October 1935

_Athens, October 1935_

The last time she’d been on a train she’d been with Philip. He had booked first class passage from Istanbul to Paris for them on the Orient Express. They’d posed as newlyweds and much fun had been had on that trip. It was the first time he’d called her ‘kitten’ when he was in playful mood. She liked that more than she probably should.

Now she was traveling from Athens to Paris with his man, Brody, in tow, having left Philip to make his way to an undisclosed location in Africa to do something he refused to tell her about. That was their way, though. He had his business, she had hers, and occasionally their work intersected. It didn’t mean she had to like it. 

For some strange reason their parting was more difficult this time. Maybe it had to do with the uncertainty of what awaited him that she didn’t like. He seemed reluctant to see her board the train three days ago, holding her face tenderly between his warm large hands right there on the Larissa Station platform for all to see as he looked deep into her eyes for a few moments before kissing her and telling her to go. If she hadn’t known him better, she might’ve thought he was about to admit he had feelings for her.

It was on the second day of the trip that Brody started to grow concerned about her welfare, apparently having been threatened with physical harm should anything happen to her while she was in his care. After taking a late supper in the dining car alone the first night, she hadn’t felt up to leaving the small cabin, much preferring to lounge about in her dressing gown and read Philip’s purloined Italian first printing of _Lady Chatterley’s Lover_. She finally relented to see the doctor at her keeper’s insistence since her assurances that nothing was wrong fell on deaf ears.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Mrs Lombard,” the physician said after a brief interview and an embarrassingly thorough examination. “You’re going to have a baby. Congratulations.”

Alice blinked, unsure she heard the doctor correctly. “Pardon?”

“You’re about six weeks along,” he continued, “which explains the general malaise that has plagued you recently.”

“A baby?” She could scarcely breathe, her heart had fallen down somewhere in the vicinity of the pit of the stomach. 

“Is your husband traveling with you?” he asked as he put his bag back in order.

“No,” she answered with a shake of her head, “no, he stayed behind to conduct some business. I’m returning home.” 

He smiled. “Then he’ll have a pleasant surprise for when he comes home.”

“Surprise for sure.” She suddenly felt completely drained and pressed her hand against her still flat stomach, her mind unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. This could not possibly be happening. Philip was going to murder her. 

He nodded. “You’re young and healthy. This unpleasantness will pass quickly and I can foresee no complications, with ample rest.”

Her head started to swim and her hands shook as she lighted a cigarette. She needed to be alone. Now. “Thank you, doctor. I think I want to lie down awhile.”

It took some convincing that she was going to live beyond the next few hours to get Brody to procure her a bottle of Jameson; and three more cigarettes and two glasses of whiskey to be able to clear the fog from her brain enough to think. She laid back on the narrow bed, arm thrown over closed eyes, trying to imagine a way to tell Philip he was to be a father that didn’t end badly for her.

Eight weeks ago life could not have been better. Her relationship with Philip had evolved to the point they were spending more time in each other’s company than out. Athens was like a dream come true. He doted on her and pampered her beyond her wildest imaginings. Her favorite thing had been a long day spent on a secluded beach on a private island. They’d splashed and played in the warm turquoise water of the Mediterranean Sea in the hot sunshine then made wild, passionate love in the shade of the thatched roof cabana. 

It was often said that pretty words and lovely gifts were the way to a girl’s heart, but it had never been that way for her. She had little use for romance, or men in general for that matter. Sure they had their uses, but she was more than happy to discard them when she was done. Philip was different. Their relationship was rough and tumble, no holds barred, always pushing each other to the limit. She craved him when they were apart, longing and dreaming until she could see him again. Then when they were together she could not get enough of him, demanding and wanting all that he was willing to give. He was her addiction.

A baby was an intriguing idea, and one she’d not ever considered before. She’d always been careful, not wanting any surprises, but caution was thrown to the wind when Philip came into her life. Maybe it was because she liked the little thrill of danger that came with not being as careful as she could’ve, or maybe, just maybe secretly deep down she wanted to have a child with him. It was impractical of course, all things considered, but she couldn’t help to think Philip would make very handsome children.

Since simply ignoring the problem wasn’t going to work this time, she had three options open to her. Each had its definite pros and cons. At least she didn’t have to make an immediate decision. Nothing could be done until she had reached Paris anyway.

The first option was quickly discarded as being wholly impossible – disappear until after the baby was born then safely tuck it away somewhere to be raised by a nanny and she could visit from time to time. It was an elaborate plan that hinged on many things going right when so many things were destine to go wrong. There was no way she could stand to be apart from Philip for that long and then lie to him. In any event, he would see the truth immediately. Having a baby changed a woman’s body for better or for worse, and he knew every inch of her body, every freckle, every mark down to the scar on her left ankle. He would know the first time he undressed her.

Then there was the most practical solution to her problem – she could just get rid of it. There were any number of women in Paris who specialized in just that so it wouldn’t be too difficult to manage. It was her understanding that it was safer and easier if it was done as early as possible. Neat and clean, like it had never happened. Philip was in Africa for the foreseeable future so she’d have plenty of time to recover without him ever suspecting a thing. Nothing between them would even have to change.

She could just tell him. It was the simplest solution to the obvious problem and also the one fraught with the most danger. The outcome was dependent upon Philip’s reaction. The question boiled down to her being willing to risk losing him. Three years of playing cat and mouse with him had taught her that she didn’t want to imagine a life without him in it. He’d never spoken of their future together much beyond the immediate, and until this point it hadn’t been much of a bother, but now…now things were suddenly different. She could see a future with him, one that she hadn’t known she’d wanted before the possibility of it became a reality.

Of course the one underlying factor to any decision she made concerning the baby was Philip’s lapsed Catholicism. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel obligated to marry her because she was pregnant. That was the quickest way to ruin whatever they had going on between them. Pretending was one thing, being tied together in holy matrimony for all eternity was quite another. The flip side was him somehow finding out she’d gotten rid of the baby. He’d never forgive her that much she knew and she couldn’t live with that.

So she made up her mind after a long, sleepless night, and felt well enough the next morning to tuck into a late breakfast after the queasiness had left her. Brody was pleased enough that she was up and about to leave her on her own to play cards in the club car with several other women on the trip. There was much to do after their arrival in Paris by early evening, starting with opening up the flat again. A spot was shopping was in order as well, lots and lots of shopping. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so at peace with herself.

Nature took its course two days after resettling into the Parisian way of life. Cramping in her lower belly woke her early after a late evening out. She lay still in the bed with her hand on her stomach, praying for the pain to stop. The doctor later confirmed her fears after the maid rang for him upon discovering her crying and bleeding on the bedroom floor. She’d been cleaned up, put back to bed, and given a sedative. 

“These things happen. It’s far from uncommon,” the doctor said matter-of-factly, putting on his overcoat to leave. “You can try again in a few weeks when your husband comes home. You’ll forget all about this unpleasantness soon enough then.”

She nodded at the doctor’s words, not really hearing him speak, and was relieved when he was finally gone to leave her to her tears and heartache, wondering how she could want something so badly that she never really had in the first place.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for goodgirlwhoishopeful who requested the prompt: "Hey hey :) Prompt. I've always wondered what your Philip & Alice might do if Alice were to fall pregnant.... (and yes I do realise what a dilemma this would be for such characters... What can I say. I like angst


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